Shloka 21
Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
इन्द्रियाणां तु सर्वेषामी श्वर॑ मन उच्यते । एतदू विशन्ति भूतानि सर्वाणीह महायश:,मनको सम्पूर्ण इन्द्रियोंका स्वामी कहा जाता है। महायशस्वी नरेश! जगत्के समस्त प्राणी इस मनका ही आश्रय लेते हैं
indriyāṇāṁ tu sarveṣām īśvaraṁ mana ucyate | etad ū viśanti bhūtāni sarvāṇīha mahāyaśaḥ ||
Yājñavalkya said: “Of all the senses, the mind is declared to be their sovereign. O illustrious king, in this world all beings depend upon—and are guided by—this mind.”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the mind is the governing power over all the senses; therefore ethical life and dharma depend primarily on disciplining and directing the mind, since all beings function by taking the mind as their basis.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Yājñavalkya addresses an illustrious king and explains a foundational principle of inner psychology: the senses are subordinate, while the mind coordinates and rules them, shaping the conduct of all creatures.